Impact-fuse.



A. WRATZKE.

IMPACT FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 9, 190e.

91 3,343 Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Figi

UNITED sTATEs PATENT ormoni ALFRED WRATZKE, OF ESSEN-ON-TE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED. KRUPF AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

IMPACT-FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application mea nal-ch 9, 190s. sei-18.1 No. 419,9e7.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED VVRATZKE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Essen-on-the-Ruhr, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Impact-Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the t pe of impact fuses in which the arts e ecting the ignition are held apart y a plurality of balls until the balls have left their safety position under the action of the centrifugal force. In accordance with the present 1n vention, the release of this type of fuses is retarded by the fact that a part of the fuse after tiring moves relatively to the balls which are in the safety position, and during this movement of the fuse-part the balls gradually leave the safety position through the medium of a ball-track provided in the fuse-part.

One embodiment of the invention is, by Way of example, shown in the accompanying drawings applied to a base-fuse.

Figure 1 is an axial longitudinal section through the fuse in safety position; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2, Fig. l, looking from above; Fig'. 3 shows a detail in bottom View; Fig. 4 shows a detail in section on line 4 4, Fig. 2, and Figs. 5 to 7 are views corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing some of the parts in different positions. v

The needle-bolt is slidably mounted in the fuse-body A (see also Fig. 4) and is composed of the firing-needle B3 and three cylindrical parts B, B,.B2 of different diameters. The parts B, B', of the needle-bolt are loosely guided in bores a', a2 in the fusebody. 'lhe firing-needle B3 projects into a cap C which is screwed on the fuse-body and in which is arranged the primer D. A spring E tends to prevent the needle-bolt from moving towards the primer.

The fuse-body A is provided with a central recess as (see especially Fig. 4) in which is arranged a disk F (Figs. 1 and 3) which is adapted to hold the balls K K K inthe safety-position (Figs. l and 2). The disk F lies loosely against the cap C and against the Walls of the recess a3 so as to be capable of turning easily relatively to the fuse-body while it is incapable of moving in the axial direction. The disk F is provided With a central bore j" of a diameter corresponding to that of the bore a2 of the fuse-body. yToward the bottom surface of the disk F the bore f is enlarged to form. a recess f2 which is concentric with the longitudinal axis of fuse and the depth of which corresponds to the radius of the safety-balls. The recess f2 is formed in such a manner \that the balls lie against its wall when they are'in the safety position. rIhe balls then rest against the cylindrical surface of the part B2`of the needle-bolt and against a shoulder b4 on' the needle-bolt, the shoulder forming the junction between the part B having the larger diameter and the part B2 having the smaller diameter.

In the safety position each of the balls K K K6 projects into a groove a5 in the fuse-body. The grooves a5 form tracks for the balls; they are cut in the bottom wall of the recess a3 of the fuse-body and in the flange a4 encircling the recess and they extend radially to the longitudinal axis of the fuse. That part of the grooves a which lies between the bore a2 and the {iange a* has a depth which corresponds to the radius 'bf the balls. The angular distances between adjacent grooves ai' are the same, with the exception of one which is greater than the others.

.lu order to make it possible for the balls to leave the safety position through the medium of the rooves a5 a groove f4 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5 to 7 cut in the bottom Wall of the disk F leads from the recess f2 in the disk -to the periphery of the disk.y The vgroove f4, which together with the grooves a5 serves as track for the balls, extends in such a manner that its wall f5 is substantially tangential to the edge f3 of the recess f2. The groove f* therefore practically extends tangential to the annular space f2 in which the balls lie when in safety-position. The depth of the groove f4 corresponds to the radius of the balls.

In the transport condition of the fuse the disk F is held against rotation by means of a bolt G (Figs. 1 and 2) which engages in a notch f6 (see especially Fig. 3) in the disk F. The bolt G is slidably mounted in a bore a (Fig. 1) of the fuse-body A, the bore a extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuse, and the bolt G is normally held against axial movement by means of a pin H l(Fig. 1) made from soft metal, such as rass.

When the disk F is in the position in which it is secured by means of the bolt G, the inner end of the groove f4 registers with the inner end of that groove Ls which serves i as track for the ball K (see the position of the groove f4 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2). In this position of the groove f* the ball K can move outwardly in the corresponding groove a5 from the position shown in Fig. 2 until it comes to lie agalnst the wall f5 of the oove f4. The other balls, however, are he d in their safety position through the medium of the disk F, which is in the transport position, and these balls therefore secure the needle-bolt against movin forwardly.

On ring, the bolt G first moves under the influence of the inertia until reaching the bottom of the bolt a, the bolt cutting oli' the part of the pin H located in the bolt. Directly after th1s has taken place, the ball K m'oves-if it has not already donecso'- in the corresponding I groove f* under the uence of the centrifugal force until-ait comes to lie against the wall f5 of the groove f4. Henceforth vthe disk F is turned by the ball K relatively to the fuse-body A in the directionv of jthe arrow X (Fig. 2) This turnino movement of the disk F is due to the fact that the ball K under the influence of the centrifugal force tends to move in the oove a5 beyond the position just-mentionv thereby exerting pressure on the wall f of the groove f4, the pressure bein' similar to that exerted by the water on the uckets of a turbine-wheel. The groove f* consequently first reaches the position shown in Fig. 5 relatively Ato the groove a and subsequently the position shown in Fig. 6. In the latter position, the outer end of the groove f* registers with the groove a5 for the ball K whlch then leaves the disk F and passes into the part of the groove a5 located in the flange a4. In the ast-named position of the 'groove f4, its inner end has just reached the groove a5 for the ball K. The ball K can then move in its groove a5 and4 along the groove f4 under the influence of the centrifugal force, the ball K turning the disk F further in the dif rection of the arrow X during -such movement. This proceeding is repeated for each `of the remaining balls* K2, K3 K6 which consequently, in the same manner as the ballsK and K', one after another leave their safety position. When the ball K has passed out of the path of the needle-bolt (gig. 7) the latter is released, that is to say t e fuse is active. However, a comparatively long time elapses before the fuse ,becomes active as the escape of the balls from their safety position is controlled by thedisk F. y

In the fore oing explanation no attention has been-paid to the fact that the disk F and the balls are subject to the action of oove a and in thebiases the inertia during the movement of the projectile. This action however, has no essential effect on the release of the fuse.

Having thus described ythe invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is l. An impact fuse having a pair of parts one of which is movable longitudinally towards the other to ignitethe fuse, a plurality of centrifugally actuated balls located in the path of movement of said longitudinally movable part and normally securing said part against movement, and a member movable after firing and having a track adapted to successively register with said balls to permit of the balls gradually moving thereon out of the path of said longitu inally movable part.

2. An impact fuse having a pair of parts one of which is movable longitudinally towards the other to ignite the fuse, a plurality of centrifugally actuated balls located in the path of movement of said-longitudinally movable part and normally securing said art against movement, and a member mova le'ateriring and having a track adapted to successively register with said ballsto permit of the' balls gradually moving thereon out of the path of said longitudinally movable part;-the movement of said member being effected by said centrifugally actuated balls'.

3. An impact fuse having an annular chamber concentric with the longitudinal axis of the fuse, a pair of parts one of which is movable longitudinally towards the other to ignite the fuse, a plurality of centriugally actuated balls normally located in sa1d chamber in the path of movement of said longitudinally movablepart and normally securing said part against movement, and a member adapted to be moved by said balls after liring and having a track adapted to successively register with said balls durin the movement of the'member to permit o the balls escaping through the track.

4. An impact fuse having an annular chamber concentric with the longitudinal axis of the fuse, a air of parts one of which is movable longitudinally towards the other to ignite the fuse, a plurality of centrifugally actuated balls normally located in sa1d chamber in the path of movement of said longitudinally movable part and normally securing saidV part against movement and a member adapted to be moved by said balls after firing and having a track eX- tendin ltan ential tosaid annular chamber and a apte to successively register with said balls to permit of the balls gradually moving thereon out of the path of said longitudinally movable part.

5. A safety device for impact fuses comprisin a plurality of balls normally arrange to prevent ignition of the fuse, and

on im act to cause ignition o a member movable after' firing and having a track adapted to successively re ister with the balls during the movement oig the member to permit of the balls adually moving on the track from their saiety position.

6. A safety device for im act fuses comprising a pluralityof centri ugally actuated balls normally arranged to prevent ignition of the fuse, and a member adapted to be moved by said balls after firing and having a track on which the balls are adapted to successively move from their safety position during the movement of the member.

7. An impact fuse having a art movable the fuse, a plurallty of balls arranged in a circle in the path of movement of said part to normally prevent movement of the part, and a member adapted to rotate afterfiring and provided vvith altrack successively registering with said balls during the rotation of the member to permit of the balls moving by the centrifugal force out of the path of movement of said part.

8. An impact fuse having a art movable on im act to cause ignition o? the fuse, a plurality of centrifugally actuated balls arran ed in a circle concentric With the axis of tie fuse and in the path of movement of said part to normally prevent movement of the part, and a member adapted to be i'otated by said balls after firing and having a track extending tangential to the ball-circle and adapted to successively register with the balls durin the rotation of the member to permit of t e balls moving thereon by the `centrifugal force out of the path of movement of said part.

9. An impact fuse having a part movable on impact to cause ignition of the fuse, a plurality of centrifugally actuated balls arrancfed in a circle concentric With the axis of the fuse and in the path of movement of said part to normally prevent movement of the art, a disk concentric with the axis of the use, adapted to be rotated by said balls after iiring and havin a track extending tangential to the ball-circle and'adapted to successively register With the balls during the rotation of the disk to permit of the balls moving thereon by the centrifugal force out of the path of movement of said part, and a relatively fixed member having a track for each ball extending radial to the axis of the fuse for. guiding the balls during their movement.

The foregoing specification signed at Dusseldorf, Germany, this 23rd day of December, 1907.

ALFRED WRATZKE 

